Multifactorial causation of obesity

Multifactorial Causation of Obesity WHO has defined “obesity” as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that present a risk to health which may even result in reduced life expectancy. A simple index of weight-for-health, namely, body mass index (BMI) has been used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. A BMI equals or more than 30 kg/m2 will be classified as “obesity” which is now ranked the fifth leading risk of deaths worldwide. It has been estimated that more than 2.8 million of adults die due to obesity in a year. As a matter of fact, obesity is said to be multifactorial and multiple reasons have been found to cause the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption. First and foremost, unhealthy diet habits and lack of physical activity top the list of factors leading to obesity. With the mushrooming of fast food outlets and easy availability of processed food which is high in fat and cholesterol, the number of obese children and teenagers has been soaring alarmingly of late. At the same time, the awareness of the benefits in consuming fruits, vegetables and unrefined carbohydrates such as whole meal bread and brown rice has been diminishing. Food guide pyramids are no longer considered as a guide in planning their daily meal intake. Apart from that, alcoholism could also be one of the major risk factors of obesity as alcohol contains empty alcohol but no nutritional values. On the other hand, lack of physical activity has been a modern day major issue. Sedentary lifestyles, as led by almost all the urban dwellers, have certainly drawn attention as far as obesity is concerned. The rapid advancement of technology has changed the way the world operates. Modern people nowadays have been relying on the high-tech gadgets in doing the house chores and the two or four wheelers to travel around.
Researches have also shown that lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity. People who sleep fewer hours tend to eat foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates. In fact, sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make us feel hungry or full. Our level of ghrelin (feeling of hunger) increases whereas that of leptin (feeling of full) decreases when we sleep less. This makes us feel hungrier than when we are well rested. Furthermore, sleep also affects how our body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls blood glucose level. It is interesting to pinpoint that the gender of a person is also one of the contributing factors of obesity. It is an well known fact that the muscle mass of males is higher than that of females and that since muscle burns more calories than other types of tissues, males utilizes more calories than women. This is even applicable at rest. Hence, it is not surprising to see that females have a higher tendency to gain weight with the same amount of calorie intake. As well as that, while we can see the wonders endocrine hormones make in our bodies, the imbalance of which could literally wreck havoc. Examples include hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, growth hormone deficiency and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Also, weight gain has been one of the side effects of a great variety of medication. For instance, corticosteroids, antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, just to name a few. This occurs due to the slowing down of the rate at which our body burns calories, increase in appetite and water retention.
Studies of identical twins that have been raised apart reveal the fact that genes have a strong influence on a person's weight. Our genes may affect the amount of fat stored in our body and where on our body carry the extra fat. As families also share food and physical activity habits, there is an established link between genes and the environment. Obesity may also be associated with certain eating disorders such as binge eating or bulimia. Some people eat more than usual when they're bored, angry, or even stressed – comfort eating. Over time, overeating will lead to weight gain which may eventually cause overweight or obesity. Last but not least, as we grow older, we tend to lose muscle especially if we are less active. Muscle loss can slow down the rate at which our body burns calories. Interestingly, women who are achieving menopause generally gain about five pounds and have more fat around the waist than they did before. To conclude, obesity is undoubtedly the consequence multiple interlinked factors. However, to see at a bright side, it is a non-communicable lifestyles disease which is largely preventable. Thus, supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping’s people’s choices of healthy food and active lifestyle.

Written by,
TAN CHUN KHENG
GROUP F1
Attendance number: 106
Roll number: 101303115